Potato cutter



F. BATES POTATO CUTTER Jan. 28, 1930.

lmiMl -H INVENTOR.

F. BATES Jan. 28, 1930.

POTATO CUTTER Fil March 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES FLOYD BATES, OF 'REXBURG, IDAHO rotrnro CUTTER Application filed March 13, 1928. Serial 1%. 261,390.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cutting vegetables, fruits, or the like into a plurality of pieces.

The primary object of this invention is '5 the 'provision of an improved cutting apparatus for cutting potatoes into a plurality of pieces, for use as potato sets or seeds; the

improved machine embodying means by which large and small potatoes may with '10 facility be cut into proper and economical size, quickly and efficiently.

I Otherobjects'and advantagesof this invention will be apparent during the course of the following'detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, 'forminga part of this specification, and-wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved potato cutter.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional' viewtaken through the frame and conveyor of the improved apparatus, showing the conveyor carrying a potato 1n cutting relation with a knife.

Figure 3 is aside elevation of the improved cutting apparatus.

Figures 4 and '5 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on their respective lines in 'Figure3 of the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is show'nonly a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A. may generally designate the improved potato cutting apparatus, which may consist of frame B; conveyor "C; means D for operating the conveyor C, and cutting means E.

The frame B preferably comprises side 40 rails 'and'11, connected bycrossgrails 12'and 13 in approved rlation. The side" rails 10 and 11 are elongated and connected inpar'allel relation, and preferably of two by four inch lumber; ,V'ertical supporting legs 15 may be provided at one end of the table, connected to theend'sof the rails 10 and 11, and morticedthere'in, and bolted as at 16 thereto. The legs '15 at their lower ends may be su1tably braced by a cross piece 18 as shown 1n Figure 3 of the' drawings. Atth-eopposi te end of'the table vertical supporting legs 18 may 32, within which potatoes or articles may be device E.

be provided, having their upper ends morticed in the rails 10 and 11, and bolted thereto as at 20, shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The front ends of the rails 10 and 11 extends beyond the legs 18, and between the rails 10 and 11 adjacent said legs is provided a cross piece 21. If desired a cross rail '23 may be connected to the legs 15 below the rails 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The lower ends of the legs 18 may '60 be suitably connected by a cross brace 25, as shown in Figure 3. Between the rails 10 and 11 are intermediate spacing rails 27 and 28, connected at their ends to the cross pieces 12 and 21, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings; the rails 27 and 28 being connected in properly spaced relation with respect to each other and the facing sides of rails 10 and 11 so as to provide parallel ways 30, 31, and

placed, resting upon the conveyor G which is disposedbelow said rails, in order that the said vegetables or-other articles may be moved by the conveyor in the direction of the cutter Referring to the conveyor C, the samepreferably is provided on the frame B with rollers 35-and 36, having reduced spindles beariug within suitable journal boxes on the rails 10 and 11, at opposite ends of'the frame B, adjacent the legs 15 and 18. Thejournal boxes are preferably provided by detachably bolting or securinghardwood blocks 38 upon the lower surfaces of the rails 10 and 11 Endless belts 10 and all of canvas webbing are trained over therollers 35 and 36, immediately below the troughways or compartments 30 and. 32, and these'canvas belts support hard wood slats 44 at the ends of thelatter, the same preferablybeing copper riveted to, the canvas, and the slats in length being slightly shorter than the distance between the inside'surfaces'of the side rails 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Itis preferred to place the endless conveyor'in such relation thatthe top surfaces of the slats llmove as close as possible to the lower surfaces of the dividing rails 27 and 28, in order to prevent catching of potatoes'or wage-- tables between the-slats and the lower sur- 10 faces of the dividing rails. To this end the dividing rails 27 and 28 below the rollers 35 and 36 are recessed upwardly, as shown at 48 in Figure 2 of the drawings. Immediately below the cutter apparatus E the dividing rails 27 and 28 are provided with pressing blocks 49, attached to the rails and having opposite ends thereof divergently beveled downward; the depth of the pressing blocks being such that the slats of the conveyor C will ride into engagement with the lower surface thereof and stretch the conveyor taut between the rollers 35 and 36, in order that the slack will be taken out of the upper portion of the conveyor to permit an eflicient cutting of the article held on the conveyor.

Article holding cleats 60 are supported on the slats 44 for travel lengthwise of the way of trough 82; preferably three of the cleats 60 being arranged side by side on the slats 44 for the support of very large articles, such as large potatoes. Pairs of cleats 61 similar to the cleats 60 are supported on the slats 44 in spaced relation for longitudinal travel through the trough 31, and pairs of cleats 62 are provided on the conveyor for longitudinal travel along the other trough or way 30. The cleats 60, 61 and 62 are of similar formation, each including a substantially triangular shaped block having a lower surface 64, a forward surface 65 normal to the path of travel of the conveyor, and an upper tapered surface 65 sloping in a convergent relation with respect to the lower surface 64 to a rear chisel edge. The front end of each cleat 60, 61 and 62 is riveted or bolted, as shown at 66 in Figure 2 of the drawings, to the slats 44 adjacent the surface 65 of the cleat, in such relation that the smaller end of the cleat may rest upon the next rearmost slat 44, but is not riveted thereto, and this provides a very efficient cleat arrangement for distributing the force upon the conveyor incident to a cutting operation, and permitting the cleats to pass the ends of the conveyor by lifting of the tail ends of the cleats off the immediately rearward slots 44, upon which they normally bear during the article cutting operation, as is shown 1n Figure 2 of the drawings.

The cleats 60 are arranged in series of three, the said series being secured to every fourth slat of the conveyor, with one slat 44 entirely exposed between the tail ends of one series of cleats 60 and the forward article engaging faces 65 of the next rearmost cleats, as shown in Figure 1. In each series the cleats 60 are secured to the same slat 44. In similar manner the pairs of cleats 61 are secured in pairs to every fourth slat on the conveyor, but the pairs of cleats 61 are secured to those slats 44 of the conveyor upon which the tail ends of the series of cleats 60 bear. Likewise the pairs of cleats 62 are secured to every fourth slat, and they are secured to those slats on which the rear or tail ends of the cleats 61 bear. In this manner the cleats 60, 61 and 62 are secured respectively to succeeding slats 44, and this positions the article engaging faces of the cleats in the ways 30, 31, and 32 so that the articles held in front of the cleats will be successively cut in the different troughs by knives of the cutting device E, and hence all of the strain of cutting the articles in the various troughs will not be placed at the same time upon the conveyor or the cutting apparatus.

The cutting device E consists of a block or plank 80 mounted upon elevating blocks 81 in a straddling relation across the conveyor and the spacing rails 27 and 28. The rear edge of the block body 80 is inwardly kerfed at 81 in a plurality of places, with narrow slits sloping forwardly and downwardly to the vertical, and adapted to receive the blade portions 82 of ordinarily stock cutting knives 83. This rear edge of the block 80 is beveled downwardly and forwardly and over it is adapted to be placed a clamping strip 85, which may be secured by bolts 86 to the block 80, to clamp the knives 83 in place with the handles of the knives resting 011 the upper surface of the block 80, as shown in Figure 2, and with the blades projecting downwardly in a forwardly sloping relation until the points thereof are immediately above the top surfaces of the slats 44 as they ride beneath the pressing blocks 40. A single knife 83 is arranged on the block 80 for the trough 30, so that the pairs of cleats 62 will ride along at opposite sides of the cutting blade 82 thereof. A single cutting knife 83 is also similarly arranged for the cleats 61 of the trough 31. For the trough 32, the cutter support or block 80 is provided with two knives 83, so that their blades pass through the spaces between the cleats of the conveyor which pass in series along the trough 32.

The operating means 1) preferably consists of a shaft 100 rotatably supported upon hearing sleeves 101 at the forward end of the machine, on the ends of the rails 10 and 11 which project forwardly beyond the legs 18. The shaft 100 is provided with a sprocket wheel 101. The roller 86 has one of its spindles extending beyond the side rail 11, and on this is keyed a sprocket 102 smaller than the sprocket 101. A link chain 103 is trained about the sprocket wheels 101 and 102. A crank 104 is keyed with the shaft 100 for rotating the latter.

In operation, the crank 104 is grasped and the shaft 100 rotated. This enables a rotation of the roller 36, and the conveyor C is likewise set in motion. The small articles, preferably potatoes, are dropped in the troughs 30 and 31, in the spaces between the pairs of cleats, so that the articles engage against the edges 65 of said cleats, on the intermediate slats along the troughs, and the articles are severed by the knives 83 in a relation which is perfectly obvious. If desired a supporting table 105, for the upper length of the conveyor C, may steady and support the same during the cutting operation. The spaced cleats for each of the troughs 30 and 31 will tend to naturally center the article which is being severed therebetween, so that the cutting of the articles will be uniform, and elficiently halved. The larger articles or potatoes are placed in the trough 30 and are severed in three pieces by the two knives 83 placed therein, in a relation which will be perfectly apparent from the foregoing.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In cutting apparatus of the class described the combination of an elongated frame, rollers supportedby the frame at opposite ends thereof, an endless conveyor trained over the rollers, means on the frame providing a plurality of trough ways longitudinally of the conveyor and thereabove, cleats connected along the conveyor for each of the trough ways in successively ofiset relation longitudinally of the conveyor for the adjacent trough ways, and cutting means carried by the frame and extending into the trough ways for cutting articles which are carried along the conveyor by said cleats incident to conveyor travel.

2. In cutting apparatus of the class described an elongated frame including side rails, rollers supported by the side rails, an endless conveyor trained over the rollers, cleats on the conveyor, spacing rails in substantial parallelism between the side rails, cutting knives supported in a depend ing cutting relation with the articles supported on the conveyor, and pressing means connected with the dividing rails adjacent said cutting knives for forcing the conveyor into a taut relation at the location where the cutting knives sever articles which are carried by the conveyor.

3. In cutting mechanism of the class clescribed an elongated frame, an endless conveyor rotatable upon the frame, means to support articles on the conveyor for travel therewith, cutting means on the frame for severing the articles which are conveyed by the conveyor, and means for holding the conveyor taut in the vicinity of the cutting means during the cutting operation. v

L In cutting apparatus of the class described a conveyor, cleats spaced longitudinally along the conveyor for receiving articles therebetween which are to be cut into pieces, the cleats being arranged with a plurality'of the same in relatively stepped relation transversely of the conveyor, and cutting means cooperatively related to the conveyor extending into the spaces between the transversely spaced cleats during travel of the conveyor for severing the articles which are on the conveyor in the spaces between the longitudinally spaced cleats.v

5. In cutting apparatus of the class described a frame, an endless conveyor rotatable on the frame, means on the conveyor for retaining articles to be cut in a definite transverse relation upon the conveyor, and cutting means cooperatively related to the last mentioned means for successively cutting articles on the conveyor transversely from one side to the other during longitudinal travel of the conveyor.

6 In cutting apparatus of the class described the combination of a frame, an endless conveyor carried on the frame, means on one longitudinal portion of the conveyor for retaining articles to be cut thereon in definitely longitudinally spaced relation, means on an adjacent longitudinal portion of the conveyorfor retaining articles in rearwardly stepped relation from the articles positioned as first mentioned, and cutting means for cutting one of the first mentioned articles and then an articles of the second mentioned articles during travel of the conveyor and continuing in such order.

7. In article cutting apparatus of the class described a frame, an endless conveyor rotatable on the frame, a plurality of guiding troughs longitudinally of the conveyor and cooperatively disposed with respect thereto, spaced article positioning devices on the conveyor traveling along each of said troughs, with the same so arranged in the respective troughs that the articles traveling in one trough will be stepped forwardly or rearwardly with respect to articles traveling in the other troughs, and cutting blades for each of the troughs carried by the frame and transversely positioned with respect to the conveyor for cutting first an article in one trough, and then an article in another trough and so that no articles in any adjacent troughs are being cut at the same time.

FLOYD Barns. 

